By Patricia Gichuki

On November 14, the L'Oréal East Africa Managing Director Yassine Bakkari and Talent Acquisition Manager Jemima Karuri visited USIU-Africa, to engage with students and alumni seeking career opportunities at the multinational company in an event organized by the Placement & Career Services (PACS) Department.

USIU-Africa's Interim Vice Chancellor, Dr. Omolola Omole-Odubekun, warmly welcomed Yassine Bakkari and Jemima Karuri, reaffirming the university's dedication to strengthening the ongoing partnership between USIU-Africa and L'Oréal East Africa. Dr. Victor Boiyo, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Student Life, Prof. Amos Njuguna, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academics, Transformational Teaching, Learning and Research, and other members of the management board were also present in the meeting.

During an engaging and insightful presentation, Yassine Bakkari introduced the students to L'Oréal and its diverse range of programs designed for both aspiring and experienced professionals, including L'Oréal for Youth (L4Y), L'Oréal Boost, and L'Oréal Brandstorm.

The L'Oréal For Youth (L4Y) global program equips students with valuable opportunities such as masterclasses, internships, apprenticeships, and other work-learning experiences. Since July 2023, over 100 USIU-Africa students have enrolled in fully funded online L'Oréal Boost programs, earning certificates from renowned global universities and organizations through Coursera.

Mr. Bakkari further highlighted L'Oréal's unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic (STEM) fields through the L'Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Programme. This multifaceted initiative empowers female scientists throughout their careers by providing recognition, mentorship, training, support, and advancement opportunities.

Each year, the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards recognize five exceptional women scientists from across the globe, while fellowships are granted to 15 promising young female scientists. These programs are spearheaded by L'Oréal's national and regional subsidiaries in collaboration with UNESCO's national commissions and other partners.

In a candid discussion with students, Yassine debunked the misconception that the beauty industry is exclusively reserved for a particular demographic or educational background. Yassine shared his own career journey that started in engineering, demonstrating the diverse career opportunities available to STEM, business, communication, and social science majors in this ever-evolving field. He asserted that "Health is the new Beauty," highlighting the industry's evolving definition of beauty to include holistic well-being.

Jemima Karuri, Talent Acquisition Manager at L'Oréal, introduced students to the Brandstorm 2024 competition challenge, themed "Reinventing the future of professional beauty through technology." She encouraged students and alumni from all educational backgrounds to participate in the innovation competition, highlighting the numerous benefits of joining the program. Interested candidates can register using this link: L'Oréal Brandstorm (loreal.com).

The event was a great opportunity for students and alumni to learn more about L'Oréal, its youth programs and potential career opportunities. It was also a valuable opportunity for students to network with L'Oréal East Africa Managing Director, Talent Acquisition & Brandstorm team. Students were also gifted products from the expansive L'Oréal product line during the career talk and throughout the day at the Brandstorm activation tent.